breaths here Manna's rain'd down here God shews his face here 's the sealing place the Spirit confirmes the word and prints it upon thy soul Thus waite upon him in his own way I and waite upon him in his own time too don't think time tedious He that beleeves makes not haste which St. Paul renders He that beleeves is not ashamed as if to make haste and be asham'd were all one God will wonderfully prepare the soule that he means to fill with his love Assurance is too precious a thing to be pour'd into every spirit He won't put new wine into old bottles God is all this while making thee more capable of his love and though for the present thou hast no Assurance yet thus trusting and waiting upon him thou art in a great tendency to it And put the worst that can be imagin'd that thou should'st dye under a cloud yet thy condition were safe and thou shalt come then to a full Assurance nay to a full possession of thine inheritance and thou shalt see the glorious Sunne-shine of the face of God a beam of which thou did'st so much long for here We come now to the fourth particular those special Sealing times when Christians have their Assurance and Plerophory 1. Many times at their first conversion God do's then seale up the work of grace in the soul When the Spirit of Bondage has past upon the soul and by a strong conviction has apply'd particularly guilt and wrath unto it the fatal sentence is pronounc't and the soul is fill'd with the scorching pre-apprehensions of hell and damnation and trembles at the very thought of eternity Now for the Gospel to bring thee wellcome newes of a pardon and for the Spirit of Adoption to apply grace and mercy unto the soul for the prison-doores to be broken open and a poor captive set at liberty to have all the chaines and fetters beaten off and to be brought into a marvellous light to have all the balme of Gilead pour'd into him Evangelical fruitions and cordials prepar'd for him and which is the very extraction and quintessence of all the love of a Saviour shed into his heart What strong impressions of joy think you must there be in such a soul What precious infusions of spiritual sweetnesse What secret springings and elevations of Spirit What triumphs what Jubilee's what love-raptures I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine I must appeal to your breasts that have found this great and heavenly work wrought upon your soul 't is you only that have tasted the joy of the holy Ghost that is glorious and unspeakable And do you tell us had not ye then the first relish of the hidden Manna was not it very sweet and delicious hadst not thou then the first glimpse of the White Stone and was not it very bright and orient hadst not thou then the Spouse kisse and was not it precious and more worth then a world didst not thou tâ—â—n first hear the soft language and whisperings of the Spirit and was not his voice lovely and pleasant I know your souls dance within you with the very recalling of so happy and golden a time and you pant and breath after more of this communion with a Saviour and truly he deserves an Anathema that do's not preferre the very possibility of having of it before all the world Hosea 11. 1. When Israel was a childe then I lov'd him I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their armes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I taught him to foot it on the wayes of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I drew them with the cords of a man all gentle and perswasive sollicitations with bands of love I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and I laid meat unto them The yoke of bondage the soul was under God freed the soul brought him to an easie pleasant yoke to an Evangelical yoke God has a speciall care of tender plants when Israel was a tender vine O then he fenc'd it and hedg'd it and shone out upon it c. Now Christ is thus pleas'd to reveal his love to unbosome himself unto the souls of young Converts for their greater incouragement in the wayes of grace At the first step to heaven he gives them a viaticum If after the soul had been steept in legall humiliation and possest with feares and terrours and amazements compass't with clouds and now at last it has been drawn by a mighty work to receive a Saviour If after all this it should have no Sun-shine 't would droop and languish and be ready to pine away 't would be very unfit and unserviceable the wheels of the soul would move heavily God therefore oiles the wheels poures the Oile of gladnesse into the soul And now it moves like the chariots of Aminadab with a nimble spontaneity Christ begins to flourish through the Lettices le ts in some of his love into the soul I and gives it a sense of this love too and this constrains it to obedience and sets the soul a longing for more of this love and for more sense of this love and so it will never leave longing till it have a full fruition of it in heaven This is Gods method this is the usuall progresse of grace in the soul And hence you may see why young Converts are usually so active in the wayes of Religion so forward and vehement O they have fresh apprehensions of the love of a Saviour with an eminent alteration he has wrought in them how they are rais'd from death to life O they can tell you long stories of his goodnesse what great things he hath done for their soul So that their affections are rais'd there 's a flush of joy the soul runs over and knows no banks no bounds Thus God does many times seal up the work of grace in the soul and gives a satisfying light at the first conversion but yet I cannot say that this is alwayes so for there are diversities of workings and grace sometimes wrought in the soul after a more still and undiscernable manner as we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter 2. Sacrament-times are sealing times I speak of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for as for those secret breathings of the Spirit upon Infants in that other Sacrament of Baptisme they are altogether unsearchable and past finding out Now in the Lords Supper you have the New Covenant seal'd up unto the soul the soul has not only his graces increased but they are printed clearer that seale of the Spirits does print a Christians evidences with a clearer stamp You have plaine and visible representations of the love of a Saviour and you have the sense of this love pour'd out into you A Christian feeds not only upon Sacramental bread but upon hidden Manna too and has tastes of that love that is sweeter then wine Here 's a feast of fat things The soul is satisfied as with marrow
There are Mysteria primae magnitudinis such transcendent and dazling mysteries as that the Eagle must be faine to shut her eye and the Seraphim must be glad to wink And there are not only intellectual but practical depths in the way of Religion And Christian Plerophory is one of these For a soul to be fill'd with the breathings of the Spirit And to move with full sail in the Ocean of Gods love And when it pleases to lie safe at Anchor I and to be sure of comming safe to the haven certainly the soul must needs cry out all the while 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the goodnesse and love of God! how mysterious are his wayes how are his mercies past finding out 1. Now for a Christian to arrive to so full a sense of Gods love hic labor hoc opus est It requires diligence For 1. There are but few that have any right and interest in the love of God in Christ at all 2. Of those few that have a share and portion in his love yet all of them have not assurance of his love There are but few that enter into the Temple I but there is only some Aaron that enters into the sanctum sanctorum and casts his Anchor within the Veile And First there are but few upon whom God bestoweth his love 'T was alwayes a principle in Morality that sweet and intimate friendship cannot be extended to many Friends usually go by paires Now God though he be of vast and boundlesse love and has love enough to satisfie a multitude of worlds yet he has chose â—o concentricate it all in a few pickt out of the world that he might thus engage them the more to himself His large and precious love is kept for his only Spouse Secondly of those few whom he loves some are not assur'd of his love He lov'd them all from everlasting yet none of them could be then assur'd of his love A non-entity cannot reach to a Plerophory Well but when they peept out of their first nothing truly they were not any rare objects of love much lesse could they then be assur'd of the love of their God when they were in a state of enmity and opposition and the children of wrath as well as others Well but when he put them into a state of love and made them lovely with that beauty and comelinesse with those jewels and bracelets which he had put upon them when he lov'd them as his new creatures as his vessels of honour that were now cast into their just mold and fashion When he lov'd them as his new-born sons yet these babes in Christ could not presently cry Abba Father They were his Epistle written in a fair and goodly character dated from eternity folded up and kept secret at length sent into the world the superscription was writ in time in Vocation Well but all this while they were not seal'd till the spirit comes and stamps a clear impression of Gods love upon their soft'ned and melted spirits 'T is true they were seal'd as soone as they were written in Gods eternal Decree but they were not visibly seal'd till now Now what pantings and breathings What longings and entreaties What preparations were there in the soul before it could obtaine this Secondly it requires diligence to keep assurance O take heed of wasting and crumbling away thy hidden Manna God may break the staffe of bread and what will thy weary soul do then Take heed of losing the White Stone take heed of forgetting thy new name O maintain the Oile of gladnesse in the Cruse Thou that art a Vine of Canaan laden with generous fruit would'st thou willingly part with thy sweetnesse and fruifulnesse Thou that art a green Olive-tree flourishing in the house of thy God would'st thou be content to part with thy fatnesse and pleasantnesse Thou wert wont to stay and Anchor thy soul upon thy God And would'st thou now be left to the courtesie of a wave What Art thou in love with the Tents of Kedar They are black indeed And do'st thou think them comely too Art thou weary of the Sun-shine And would'st thou coole thy self in the shade Do'st thou begin to loath thy hidden Manna and would'st thou returne to the Garlick and Onions of Egypt Art thou cloy'd with the clusters of Canaan and do'st thou nauseate the Honey-comb O remember thou did st not so soone obtaine assurance and wilt thou so soone lose it Thirdly give diligence to recover assurance if lost O when will the winter be past when will the raine be over and gone that the flowers may appear and the time of singing may come That the Vines of Canaan may flourish again that the tender Grapes may appear Awake O South-winde and with thy gentle breathings blow upon the Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Never leave till thou find'st thy Spouse again thou that art sick of love Tell him that thou long'st for a cluster of Canaan That thou art even famish'd for want of hidden Manna Desire a new edition of his love with all the enlargements of affections Lay thine heart before him and desire new stamps impressions tel him that though thou hast lost the print yet he has not lost the Seal Tell him that thou wilt now prize his love more then thou ever did'st or could'st do before Give him no rest till he give thy soul rest and fill it with himself Surely thou would'st not willingly set in a cloud thou would'st not go out of the world with thine Evidences blotted and blurr'd Surely thou would'st not willingly be tost and dasht with waves in sight of the haven Had'st thou not rather go to thy grave in peace O desire himto shine out upon thee a little before thou goest hence and be nomore seene 2. Now surely we need not tell you why Assurance does thus require diligence For 1. You know the hearts deceitfulnesse how it loves to please it self in a shadow in a painted joy to flatter it self into an imaginary happinesse Most men in the world are so confident of heaven as if they had been borne heirs apparent to the Crown of glory as if this new name had been given them at their baptism or as if they had been born with hidden Manna in their mouths They never knew what a question or a scruple was nay they wonder that others trouble themselves with them as for them they have a connate kinde of Plerophory These fabri fortunae suae have a key to heaven of their own making and can go to it when they please These crown themselves with their own sparks and think them more glittering and precious then the White Stone As if they were Custodes sigilli they can â—eale themselves to the day of redemption when they please Thus do vaine men cheat their own souls when as 't were their wiser way rather to commune with their own spirits to criticize upon their own hearts to see what
so neere the fountain of light and continually drink in the beams of glory that are exactly conformable to their Creatour in all his motions for the same end he furnished and beautified this lower part of the world with intellectual lamps that should shine forth to the praise and honour of his name which totally have their dependance upon him both for their being and for their perpetual continuation of them in their being 'T was he that lighted up these lamps at first 't is he that drops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the golden oile into them Look then a while but upon the parentage and original of the soul of Reason you 'll presently perceive that it was the Candle of the Lord. And if you have a minde to believe Plato he 'll tell you such a feigned story as this That there were a goodly company of Lamps a multitude of Candles a set number of souls lighted up altogether and afterwards sent into bodies as into so many dark Lanthorns This stock and treasure of souls was reserved and cabinetted in I know not what Starres perhaps that they might the better calculate their own incarnation the time when they were to descend into bodies and when they came there they presently sunk into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they slipt into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he tearms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the putting off of knowledge for a while the clouding and burying of many sparkling and twinkling notions till by a waking reminiscence as by a joyful resurrection they rise out of their graves again Plato it seems lookt upon the body as the blot of nature invented for the defacing of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or at the best as an impertinent tedious parenthesis that checkt and interrupted the soul in her former notions that eclipsed and obscured her ancient glory which sprung from his ignorance of the resurrection for had he but known what a glory the body was capable of he would have entertained more honourable thoughts of it Yet Origen was much taken with this Platonical notion it being indeed a pretty piece of Philosophy for him to pick allegories out of And though he do a little vary from Plato in a circumstance or two yet in recompence of that he gives you this addition and enlargment that according to the carriage behavior of these naked spirits before they were embodied there were prepared answerable mansions for them That such a soul as had walkt with God acceptably was put into a fairer prison was clothed with an amiable and elegant body But that soul which had displeased and provoked its Creator was put into a darker dungeon into a more obscure and uncomely body That Candle which had shined clearly was honoured with a golden Candlestick that which had soiled its light was condemned to a dark Lanthorne one would think by this that Origen had scarce read Genesis he doth in this so contradict the Sacred History of the Creation Nor is this the just product of Plato's opinion but 't is pregnant with much more folly he returns him his own with usury gives him this as the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and improvement of it Aquinas doth clash in pieces all these Platonical fictions in his two books Contra Gentiles yet upon this sinking and putrid foundation was built the tottering superstructure of connate Species For when Plato had laid down this Error for a maxime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the souls of men were long extant before they were born then that other phansie did presently step in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the soul was very speculative and contemplative before it was immerst in the body which made way for the next conceit that the soul brought many of its old notions along with it into the body many faithful attendants that would bear the soul company in her most withering condition when other more volatile and fugitive notions took wing to themselves and flew away many a precious pearl sunk to the bottome of Lethe but some reliques of notions floated upon the top of the waters and in the general Deluge of notions there was an Ark prepared for some select principles some precâ—pta Nouchidarum which were to increase and multiply and supply the wants of an intellectual world This makes the Platonists look upon the spirit of man as the Candle of the Lord for illuminating and irradiating of objects and darting more light upon them then it receives from them But Plato as he failed in corporeal vision whilest he thought that it was per extramissâ—onem radiorum So he did not ab errore suo recedere in his intellectual optioâ—â—but in the very same manner tells us that spiritual vision also is per emissionem radiorum And truly he might as well phansie such implanted Ideas such seeds of light in his external eye as such seminal principles in the eye of the minde Therefore Aristotle who did better clarifie both these kindes of visions pluckt these motes out of the sensitive eye and those beames out of the intellectual He did not antedate his own knowledge nor remember the several postures of his soul and the famous exploits of his minde before he was born but plainly profest that his understanding came naked into the world He shews you an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abrasa tabula a virgin-soul espousing it self to the body in a most entire affectionate and conjugal union and by the blessing of heaven upon this loving paire he did not doubt of a Notional off-spring posterity this makes him set open the windows of sense to welcome and entertain the first dawnings the early glimmerings of morning-light Clarum mane fenestras intrat Angustas extendit lumine rimas Many sparks and appearances fly from variety of objects to the understanding The minde that catches them all and cherishes them and blows them and thus the Candle of knowledge is lighted As he could perceive no connate colours no pictures or portraictures in his external eye so neither could he finde any signatures in his minde till some outward objects had made some impression upon his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soft and plyable understanding impartially prepared for every seal That this is the true method of knowledge he doth appeal to their own eyes to their own understandings do but analyse your own thoughts do but consult with your own breasts tell us whence it was that the light first sprang in upon you Had you such notions as these when you first peept into being at the first opening of the souls eye in the first exordium of infancy had you these connate Species in the cradle and were they rockt asleep with you or did you then meditate upon these principles Totum est majus parte Nihil potest esse non esse simul Ne're tell us that you wanted origanical dispositioÌ„s for you plainly have recourse to the sensitive powers and must needs subscribe to
upon genuine Reason then in relying upon some spurious traditions for think but a while upon those infinite deceits and uncertainties that such Historical conveyances are liable and exposed to I alwayes except those sacred and heavenly volumes of Scripture that are strung together as so many pearls and make a bracelet for the Spouse to wear upon her hands continually These writings the providence of God hath deeply engaged it self to keep as the apples of his own eye And they do not borrow their certainty or validity from any Ecclesiastical or universal Tradition which is at the most but previous and preparatory but from those prints of Divinity in them and specially from the seal of the same Spirit that endited them and now assures the soul that they were Oracles breathed from God himself As for all other sacred Antiquity though I shall ever honour it as much as any either did or can do justly and with sobriety and shall alwayes reverence a gray-headed truth yet if Antiquity shall stand in competition with this Lamp of the Lord though genuine Antiquity would never offer to do it yet if it should it must not think much if we prefer Reason a daughter of Eternity before Antiquity which is the off-spring of time But had not the spirit of Antichristianisme by its early twinings and insinuations wound and wrought it self into most flourishing and primitive times into the bosome of a Virgin-Church and had it not offered violence to the works of some sacred writers by detracting and augmenting according to its several exigencies by feigning and adulterating by hiding and annihilating some of them as much as they could the ordinary tricks of Antichrist which he used alwayes more subtilly though of late more palpably had it not been for such devices as these Antiquity had come flowing to us in purer and fuller streams in more fair and kindly derivations and so might have run down more powerfully and victoriously then now it will But Antichrist hath endeavoured to be the Abaddon and the Apollyon of all sacred antiquities though the very reliques of those shining and burning lights that adorn'd the Church of God have splendor enough to scatter the darknesse of Popery that empty shadow of Religion that arises ob defectum Luminis yet Antiquity setting aside those that were peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was but the first dawning of light which was to shine out brighter and brighter till perfect day Let none therefore so superstitiously look back to former ages as to be angry with new opinions and displayings of light either in Reason or Religion Who dares oppose the goodnesse and wisdome of God if he shall enamour the world with the beauty of some pearls and jewels which in former times have been hid or trampled upon if he shall discover some more light upon earth as he hath let some new Stars be found in the heavens This you may be sure and confident of that 't is against the minde and meaning of Antiquity to stop the progresse of Religion and Reason But I know there are some will tell us of a visible tribunal of an infallible head of the Church borne to determine all controversies to regulate all men 't is a wonder they do not say Angels too Others more prudently and equally resolve the final judgement of Controversies into a general and oecumenical Councel but I shall speak to them all in the language of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I shall explain it according to the minde of the learned Davenant in his discourse de indice ac norma fidei Cultûs Christiani God only is to rule his own Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicio autoritativo by a determining and Legislative power Men that are fitted by God himself are to guide and direct it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicio ministeriali in way of subserviency to him by an explication of his minde yet so as that every one may judge of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicio privato practicae discretionis by acts of their own understanding illuminated by the Spirit of God for there are no representatives in intellectuals and spirituals Men may represent the bodies of others in Civil and Temporal affairs in the acts of a Kingdome and thus a bodily obedience is alwayes due to just authority but there is none can alwayes represent the minde and judgement of another in the vitals and inwards of Religion for I speak not of representations in outward order and discipline A general councel does and may produce judicium forense but still there is reserved to every single individuum judicium rationale for can you think that God will excuse any one from Error upon such an account as this such a Doctor told me thus such a piece of Antiquity enform'd me so such a general Councel determin'd me to this where was thine own Lamp all this while where was thy ratio illuminata guhernata secundùm normas bonae necessariae consequentiae rationali creaturae impressas Yet this must be gratefully acknowledged that these general Councels have been of publick influence of most admirable use and advantage to the Church of God though they are not of the very Essence of it for 't is well known that there were none of them till the dayes of Constantines But herein is the benefit of Councels that they are or ought to be a comparing and collecting of many Lights an uniting and concentricating of the judgements of many holy learned wise Christians with the Holy Ghost breathing amongst them though not alwayes so fully and powerfully as that they shall be sure to be priviledg'd from every Error but being all of them subject to frailty and fallibility and sometime the major part of them proving the pejor part there is none bound to give an extemporary assent to their votes and suffrages unlesse his minde also concurre with theirs That worthy Divine of our own whom I mentioned before speaks very fully and clearly to this Ad nudam praescriptionem aut determinationem alterius sine lumine privati judicii nemo est qui credere potest etiamsi cupiat maximé The most eminent Mirandula will give you the reason of it for saies he Nemo credit aliquid verum praecisè quia vult credere illud esse verum non est enim in potentia hominis facere aliquid apparere intellectui suo verum quando ipse voluerit But before there can be faith in any soul there must be cognitio propositionis credendae and there must be inclinatio intellectûs ad assentiendum huic propositioni revelatae cognitae Before you understand the termes of any proposition you can no more believe it then if it came to you in an unknown tongue A Parrat may repeat the Creed thus Corvos poëtas poëtridásque picas cantare credas Pegaseïum melos Though such at length may very safely conclude as that talkative bird is reported to
interpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this verse and Beza saies indeed that he found it in two ancient copies but though it be left out in the letter yet we enclude it in the sense good reason to leave it out in the text because all the Greek copies do two only excepted but yet we take it in in the interpretation and freely acknowledge that no Christian can be assur'd of his salvation who is not fruitful and abundant in good works as Fulke and Carthwright do very well satisfie the Rhemists Translation In the words you have 1 An usual compellation Brethrer 2. An Apostolical exhortation and that to a double duty one subordinate to another The 1. and principal in intention to make your calling and election sure The 2. which is a meanes to the former to give diligence And if you look upon the first again you shall finde in it 1. A propriety your calling and election 2. A method and order first your calling and then your election As for two of the particulars we 'l but point at them because they are not so properly intended in the words For The compellation is frequent and obvious in every Epistle and shews 1. An Apostolical Suaâ—a by which they were wont to winde and insinuate themselves into the affections of the people to engâ—atiate themselves with them for affection does strongly engage the judgement And all Rhetorick is little enough to win hearts and prevail upon some mens spirits 2. An Apostolical meeknesse Peter a Star of the first magnitude yet calls the lesser Sporades his brethren A glorious and eminent Christian a tall Cedar in Lebanon yet acknowledges the meanest and lowest Christians his brethren He learnt this of his Lord and Master who was not ashamed to call them brethren And shall the disciple be above his Lord 'T were well if the Pope who will needs be Saint Peters successor would follow him in this And who art thou O prophane Ismael that scoff'st at the children of the promise under this very name and notion of brethren And then as for the propriety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your calling and election 1. None can be assur'd of another mans salvation unlesse it be of such whom the Scripture tells us were in the state of Grace whose sincerity is made famous to all the world to whom the Spirit has set its broad seal and given them a publike Testimony that they were within the Covenant for others we know in general that there are a select and peculiar company whom God has chosen out as his jewels but we cannot say certainly and infallibly of such a particular person of any Individuum that he is a chosen vessel Of some 't is evident and apparent that for the present they are not in the state of Grace we are sure that as yet they are not efficaciously call'd but we know not whether they be chosen for others we have great hopes and an high degree of probability that they are truly born again but yet we have no absolute certainty for Hypocrisie will go so farre as that the best Criticks may be deceived And a man can never tell certainly another mans sincerity unlesse he could supply the place of Conscience An Hypocrite may spin so fair a thred as that it may deceive his own eye he may admire the cobweb and not know himself to be the Spider how much more easie may he deceive a stander by And as for any extraordinary spirit of discerning I know no ground for it nor any promise of it in the Scriptures You 'l say this takes much from the communion of Saints and from the sweetnesse of Christian society if we cannot tell who are true members of the Mystical body fellow-brethren and fellow-heirs of the same promise 1. Though we cannot tell absolutely and infallibly yet we may know very probably we know there are such a peculiar people a chosen generation a Royal Priest-hood and we know that such and such are the likeliest in the world to be of this number so as we have no reason to distrust them 2. We must commend much of this to Gods providence who very seldome suffers Hypocrites to go undetected he that is the great searcher of hearts will be sure to meet with them he hates a rotten heart and will be sure to make it odious 3. 'T is fitting that this and many other priviledges should be reserv'd for heaven that so we may long after that the more There shall be a pure and unmixt communion the perfect beauty of holinesse Nothing shall enter there that makes a lie nothing of Hypocrisie but glorious Angels and glorifi'd Saints sunning themselves in the presence of God shall keep company together to all eternity 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians are chiefly to look to their own calling and election They are indeed bound to promote the good of others and to look upon their lives with such Rules as Christianity allows but they must be sure to dwell at home and be acquainted with their own breasts to make their own calling and election sure for they cannot be sure of another mans condition so as they may be of their own And thus we have dispatch't those two particulars which lay more collateral in the words and were not directly intended in them We now come to the very minde and drift of the Text which branches it self into these four propositions that will fully explain the nature of Assurance though we keep within the bounds of the Text It streams into these four particulars 1. A Christian may be assur'd of his salvation 2. Assurance of salvation requires all diligence 3. Assurance of salvation deserves all diligence both imply'd in Give diligence 4. The way to make our Election sure is first to make our calling sure And now you may look upon the Text as on a pleasant Vine situated in a fruitful place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the horn of the Son of Oile or fatnesse as the Prophet speaks you may sit under the shadow of it and its fruit will be sweet unto you For you see how it has spread it self into spacious and goodly branches such as are all laden with fair and swelling clusters clusters of Canaan that are ripen'd with those heavenly Sun-beams that shine out upon them and richly fill'd with all spiritual sweetnesse And this fruit of the Vine will chear the heart of man to all eternity As for us we 'll be sure to prune off all such sproutings and luxuriancies of style as may any way steal from the sap and strength of so great a truth in hand as the Hebrews call those sproutings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. little Epicures alwayes feasting upon the sweetnesse of the tree and putting the root to continual expences we 'll prune off all these And if there be any clusters lie lurking under the leaves truth 's not so obvious to every eye we 'll if we
comes with confidence to the Throne of grace Jer. 17. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supplantativum Cor prae omnibus so Arias Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inscrutahile desperabile so Hierome and our Translation desperately wicked 't is properly insaâ—abile Some think Paul alludes to this place and does explain it in Rom. 2. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy reade the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translate it accordingly 1. Now as for the mind of the place I finde Expositors of great name and worth understanding it of the unregenerate heart of the heart of man that is in the state of corrupt nature of whom 't is said that All the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are altogether evil continually 2. The drift of the text is to shew the deceitfulnesse of mens hearts in respect of others for 't is brought in by way of Objection The Jewes they are cunning and subtile and can delude the Prophets and so think to evade the Curse No but I the Lord search the hearts I have a faire window an open prospect into the most reserved Spirit 't is as clear as Crystal to my eye 3. Yet 't is true that the most sincere heart is very deceitful the heart of a David of a man after Gods own heart is ful of windings and turnings and many deviations such secret passages as himself knowes not of For who hath known the errour of his wayes No man yet had such a piercing insight into his own soule as to be acquainted with every motion of it None can so anatomize his own Spirit that it shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as every veine and nerve and muscle shall be obvious and apparent to his eye But what does this hinder but that the general frame and bent of the Spirit the byas and inclination of the soule may be clearly known The soule knowes which way its faculties stream with most vehemency Conscience cannot be brib'd 't will give in true judgement especially an illight'ned Conscience There 's none but if he search and examine his own soule in a strict and impartial manner may know whether he be sincere and cordial or no. There 's none but may know the general frame and temper of his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 11. Who knowes the things of a man but the Spirit of a man that is in him The Testimony of Conscience is certain and infallible Many a wicked man by this is assur'd that for the present he is in a miserable and damnable condition he knowes certainly that as yet he is out of the Covenant and hence many times there are lightening flashes of terrour flie in his face the very sparks of hell compasse him about Does not thy Conscience often tell thee O prophane wretch that as yet thou art a childe of wrath and galloping to damnation with a full Cariere why then may not the heart of a Christian tell him as certainly that he is a childe of God by Adoption and an heire of Promise nay speak O Christian where e're thou art and speak aloud that we may heare thee does not thine own soule tell thee that thou art in a sure and happy condition so sure as nothing shall be able to separate thee from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Why are Christians so often enjoyn'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to try their own hearts to search their Spirits if that after all their diligence they can't tell what to think of them All uses of examination were vain and frivolous which yet are the very life and spirits of preaching And Ames tells us of a donum discretionis which Christians have by which they can discerne true grace from counterfeit There are certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which they may distinguish them and judge of them in themselves though not in others certainly If all thus by the Testimony of Conscience may know their own frame of Spirit whether they be upright or no why then are not all true Christians assur'd of their salvation what have they not their consciences and hearts about them 1. Many are not sufficiently acquainted with their own Spirits they do not keep so strict a watch over themselves they are not verst in their own hearts they don't try and search their wayes they have riches and a treasure and do not know of it 2. It is in so great and weighty a matter Eternity does so amaze and swallow up the thoughts as that they are ready to tremble where they are certain and secure A man on the top of a tower knows that he is safe enough and yet when he looks down he is afraid of falling 3. Conscience sometimes gives a dark and cloudy testimony when 't is disquieted and charg'd with new guilt the soule can't so clearly reade its evidences And then it begins to question its condition It may be it has dealt hypocritically in some one particular and now it begins to question all its sincerity We do not say then that Conscience does alwayes give a clear and full Testimony but sometimes it does and that with absolute certainty 2. Now comes in the second witnesse and the great and supreme testimony of the Spirit himself witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God Rom. 8. 16. we render it the same Spirit but in the fountain it is the Spirit it self not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the gifts and graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self This Testimony seems to be coincident with the other for a man can't tell his own sincerity 't is the Spirit that must reveal a man to himself The soule can't see its own face unlesse the Spirit unmask it The Spirit is more present and conversant with the soul then the soul is with it self He does not only know our hearts but he is greater then our hearts and knowes all things We 'l easily grant that to the least motion in spirituals there is necessarily requir'd the concurrence of the Holy Ghost but withal we say that there 's a mighty difference between the working of the Spirit and the Testimony of the Spirit There 's a powerful and efficacious work of the Spirit when faith is wrought in the soul but yet there is not the Testimony of the Spirit for every believer has not presently the Seale set to him so that though the Testimony of our own spirit cannot be without the help and influence of the Spirit yet 't is clearly distinct from the Testimony of the Spirit for here the Spirit does enable the soul to see its graces by a present light by the soules light But when it comes with a Testimony then it brings a new light of its own and lends the soule some auxiliary Beames for the more clear and full revealing of it so that you see according to that plain text in the Romanes There
their sins and Judah their transgressions And this is that which prepares the Martyres for their sufferings God tempers and allayes that Cup he drops some of his goodnesse into it and sweetens it to them He first sets his seal to their soules before they set their seal to his truth he diets them with the hidden Manna and gives them before-hand the White Stone as a sure pledge of victory What is it but this that makes them devoure torments and come to them with an appetite 't is this that softens the flames and turnes them into a bed of Roses 't is this that fills their souls with joy and their mouths with praises that makes them more chearful in their sufferings then their Saviour in his for they usually have the face of a reconciled God shining out upon them which was wholly with drawn from him when he cry'd out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me 4. Praying times are sealing times The same Spirit that endites the Prayer seales it up When Hannah had put up her Prayer 1 Sam 1. 18. the text sayes expressely that her countenance was no more sad As 't is the great Priviledge of Assurance that Christians may then with confidence cry Abba Father so also 't is a great meanes to Assurance The hearing of Prayers is a mighty strengthening to faith and the strengthening of faith does strongly tend to Assurance Besides Christians may pray for Assurance they may be importunate for a glimpse of his face for one beam for one smile and his bowels won't let him deny them Hence you shall finde it that such as are most frequent in Prayer are most blest with Assurance Praying Christians have much entercourse and communion with their God And thus there may be a National kinde of Assurance I say a National plerophory when God shall poure out a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication upon his people and they with united and concentricated abilities shall besiege the Throne of Grace there is no doubt there can be no doubt but at length he will yield up such a mercy to his praying People 5. Times of outward exigencies are sealing times 2 Cor. 4. 16. Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renew'd daily that feeds upon hidden Mannah a precious restaurative for a fainting Christian Manna you know was rain'd down in the wildernesse and when the Israelites provision failed them then Manna was rain'd down When the water-pots are fill'd up to the brim then water presently turn'd into wine and so this hidden Mannah is provided for sad and cloudy conditions We except only the case of total desertion when the soul has not the least light shining in upon it which is the severest judgement that a true Christian is capable of but in other distresses especially outward and temporal distresses he does reveal himself more immediately to them And though the creature frown yet he will smile upon them Believers they are the friends of God and 't is no part of friendship to forsake them in the saddest times St. John when a banish't man in the Isle of Pathmos then God shewes him that glorious Revelation Paul and Silas when in prison then brim-full of joy which breaks out into Psalmes of Praise In the fiery trial as there is some scorching so there is some light too And God does prepare his People for the seal of the Spirit by thus melting and softening their heart for the softer the heart is the clearer will the Print of his love be When God had brought that great sicknesse upon Hezekiah and thus had dissolv'd and soft'ned his heart he presently prints his love upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thon hast lov'd my soule from the grave God does then most expresse his love when they have most need of it The white Stone sparkles most oriently in the darkest condition O how gloriously does God shine in upon the prisons of Martyrs what frequent visits does he give them it might even make men ambitious of their sufferings that they might have some such expressions of his love towards them 6. Times of Victory and Conquests over lusts and temptations are sealing times God after such victories will give his People a triumph This is exprest in that text of the Revelation Rev. 2. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcomes will I give to eate of the hidden Mannah c. Thus when Saint Paul was wrastling with and conquering that great temptation whatever it was that is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. God then gives to eat of the hidden Mannah and strengthens him with this My grace is sufficient for thee He gives him the white Stone with that Motto graven in it My grace c. Thus that noble Christian and famous Convert of Italy Galeacius Caracciolus when he had scorn'd the pomp and lustre of the world and had trampl'd upon all relations for the love of a Saviour when Satan that cunning Angler of souls had spent all his baits upon him and he had refus'd them all O then what a deal of precious sweetnesse slides into his soul what rushings in of glorious joy he had never such joy at Naples as he had at Geneva You may hear him pronouncing an Anathema to all such as shall prefer all the gold and silver in the world before one dayes sweet Communion with Jesus Christ As none have more dregs of wrath then relapsing and apostatizing Spirits Remember but Spira's case so none have sweeter and choicer mercy then the faithful Servants of the Lord Jesus that follow him in the houre of temptation Apostates are seal'd up to a day of vengeance but these are seal'd up to a day of Redemption Thus the Mourners in Ezekiel that would not yield to the abominations of the times must have a seal set upon them Thus that Virgin-company in the Revelation that would not prostitute their soules to Antichristian folly have the seal of God in their foreheads This is the happinesse of a Christian that he has a sweet satisfaction in self-denyal in denying sin in repulsing lust in conquering temptation in pulling out his right eye in cutting off his right hand in mortifying the body of death he has a sweet satisfaction in all these And thus you have seen those special sealing times when Christians have this high plerophory these riches of Assurance we come now to speak of them in a more Applicatory way 1. Times of Assurance they should be times of humility and dependance upon God When Moses had been so long in the Mount and had a lustre upon him by conversing with God himself presently at the foot of the Mount he meets with matter of humiliation The Israelites have made them a golden Calfe Thy People sayes God to Moses they have done this And the Apostle Paul when he had been rapt up into the third Heaven and had heard there some of Arcana Coeli things that neither could nor might be utter'd for
be Thou must not look for any more stroakings for any more smiles for love-glances any more Thou must bid thy fountaines of joy farewell Thou must not look to see thy Spouse flourishing through the Lattices any more Thou must expect clouds and shadows and veils and curtaines and walls of separation The fig-tree of Canaan shall not blossome and there shall be no fruit in the Vines and the labour of the Olive shall faile Thou must passe many a day without one Sun-beam God will seal up his sweetest influences he will shut up the windows of heaven and stop the bottles of heaven he will rain down no more Manna upon thee Go to thy husks and see if they I feed thee Nay 2 They may not only fall from Assurance but even in a total desertion look upon God as an enemy and instead of a filial Plerophory may come to afearful expectation of the fiercest wrath of God Now this I say is more judgement then wicked men are capable of here in this respect that they never had his love once revealed to them Whereas these are thrown down from the very pinacle of the Temple And God do's not only eclipse the lustre of their former joy but dips his Pen in gall and writes bitter things against them He was wont to shoot nothing but the fiery darts of Love I but now his envenom'd arrowes stick fast in them They did once furfet of the Grapes and Clusters of Canaan but now he hedges them in with briers and thornes They were wont to taste of a cup of sweetnesse a cup of love but he has now prepar'd for them a cup of trembling and astonishment They had once a Spring-time a budding a blossoming-time the dew of heaven dropt on them the beams of heaven visited them But now comes a sad and disconsolate Autumne a fading and withering time Their glosse and greennesse is gone Heaven reveales it self in thunderings and lightning flashes against them so as they shall even envy green Bay-trees then men of the world that are free from all this Now is not this enough to keep a soul in awe The Psalmist was very neer this which we speak of He often tells you that his joy was put out that his peace was gone that he was even ground to powder that he was banisht from the face of his God that he was excommunicated from that happy and heavenly intercourse with God which once he had These are frequent complaints And yet he was one 1. Of a pleasant and cheerful Temper The Scripture paints him out as one of a Sanguine complexion the men of the world would have said he had been melancholy else He was one that was like a green Olive-tree in the house of his God a most flourishing and fruitful Christian As if he had been one of the Church triumphant he was alwayes singing fresh Hallelujahs He had a soft and delicate touch upon the Harpe he could still Sauls evil spirit with his musick I but he could not thus tune and compose his own troubled and distemper'd spirit He was faine now to hang his Harpe upon the willows and the voice of his Lute was turn'd into sighing And if he do's sing sometimes with a thorne at his breast 't is some penitential Psalme or other 2. And yet all this while he was a King upon the Throne he wanted not the pomp and bravery of the world I but a Scepter won't conquer fears and a Crown of gold will not cure an aking head much lesse an aking heart The smiles of the world they brought him to all this and therefore he can't take much complacency in them And then for when he do's so often envy the men of the world and is ready to stumble at the prosperity of the wicked it was not so much for the outward things of the world which they enjoy'd for those he had himself too in a plentiful measure but it was for the quietnesse of their spirits they were calme and serene if compared with him not in such fears and doubts as he now was they had not such conflicts and Paroxysmes and tumultuations of soul as he now had And yet he was one that once had the face of God shining out upon him And therefore he desires him to restore the joy of his salvation Lucem redde abes jam nimiùm diu Instar veris enim vultus uâ—i tuus affulsito populo gratior it dies soles meliâ—s nitent as he once spake to Augustus So that you see here are wayes enough to keep men from a carnall security And thus we have took off that bold calumny so as we hope that Nihil adhaerebit Having laid open at large the nature of Assurance we now come to handle briefly the second observation And that is Christian Assurance requires and calls for diligence Sure I need not tell you that the most precious things are Cabinetted and lockt up under difficulties If you look to Nature you see how she reserves her Jewels in secret repositories she sets them in her own bosome and enhances their price by rarity There is indeed a veine for silver as Job speaks but Nature is not so profuse to open it to let it run waste and exhaust her self she hides her treasures and puts them out of the reach of an ordinary Plunderer Or if you look to Arts There are indeed some things which float at the top 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are but initiated into them are presently acquainted with them Hence some beginners when they have but tasted these think they have a present kinde of Omniscience O but stay a while there are most mysterious things which lurke at the bottome and require a profounder search they must dive deep before they fetch up these Pearls Thus 't is in Languages the choicest elegancies many times are coucht in Idioms those arcana linguarum you may see them like so many Pearls glittering amongst the rubbish of the Tower of Babel Thus 't is in civil affairs some things are visible and obvious to a vulgar eye the rude heap and masse of people can take notice of them some wheels move so plainly as that they can see them I but there are more secret springs of motion more intimate contrivances politick riddles which they onely can read that are à secretioribus Every designe must not have a window in it 't is comely sometimes to see Moses with a Veile upon his face And thus 't is in the wise Oeconomy and dispensation of the Gospel 'T is true the whole Gospel is pregnant with heavenly mysteries 'T is like that heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the milky way which the wise ones of the world take for a Meteor only a brief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I but those that are enlightened from above know that 't is made up ex flore lucis 't is compounded of Stars lesse discernable and even here one Star differs from another in glory
own bosome Return thee to thy Rest O my Soul Return to thine Arke O my Dove And look upon this Gospel-Plerophory as one of those great priviledges that were purchas'd for thee by a Saviour For 1. By this thy Soul thy darling 't is fully provided for for eternity Thy lot is falne to thee in a faire ground and thou hast a goodly heritage Could thy soul open its mouth any wider Could thy soul desire any more then this to be sure of being for ever compleatly happy What would the damn'd in hell give for a possibility of happinesse What would some wounded spirits give for good hopes and probabilities when as thou in the mean time hast an overflowing Plerophory What would the one give for a drop to coole their tongue What would the other give for a pure stream to wash their bleeding foules When as thou all the while art bathing in the fountain art sailing in the Ocean art swimming in the Rivers of pleasure Thine understanding may well rest satisfi'd for t' is sure to fixe its eye upon an eternal beauty upon the face of its God Thy will may rest it self in the embraces of its dearest object for 't is espoused to the fairest good and is sure to enjoy it with an indissoluble union Thy purer and more refined affections may sport themselves in the Sun-beams of heaven There may thy love warme and melt it self and there may thy joy dance and exult All that thou hast to do here below is this Thy Virgin-soul that is here assur'd and contracted must wait a while for the Nuptials for a full fruition of its God for a full consummation of its joy 2. This must needs sweeten all present conditions to thee Eat then thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepts thy person and smells a sweet odour in thy sacrifice Are there any pearles in the Gospel thou may'st lay claime to them Is there any balme in Gilead thou hast a share in it Are there any Gospel-priviledges thou know'st they are thine and are intended for thee Do's God bestow temporals upon thee thou know'st that he first dips them in love and sweetnesse Mount Gerizim is thy portion And how art thou above waves when as some are shipwrackt others are toss d and disquieted thou hast an happy protection in all thy wayes 1. Thou are secure against the srownes of the world for heaven smiles upon thee Thou may'st laugh at the false judging and esteems of men It may be the world brands I but the Spirit seales It may be the seed of the Serpent hisses I but the holy Ghost breaths What though thou beest fourty years in a Wildernesse Nay what though thou beest seventy years in Babylon Won't Canaan and won't the new Jerusalem make amends for all 2. Thou art secure in times of judgement As Job speaks of the Leviathan The sword of him that layes at him cannot hold the speare the dart nor the habergeon The arrow cannot make him flee darts are counted as stubble he laughs at the shaking of the spear Who is like him upon the earth one that is made without fear When God thunders upon the men of the world he speaks but in a still voice to thee he darts lightning flashes in their faces but he lists up the light of his countenance upon thee Judgements are intended for the sweeping away of Spiders webs not for the sweeping away of Gods own jewels Or if they be envolv'd in a common calamity yet how is it roll'd up in sweetnesse to them when as the other can taste nothing but gall and wormwood Their body may be toss'd a little in the world but their soul lies safe at Anchor 3. In the houre of death Thou know'st that providence then means only to break the shell that it may have the kernel Let them tremble at the knocking 's and approaches of death that know not what shall become of their precious soules Men who through the fear of death have been all theirlife-time subject unto bondage But thou may'st safely trample upon the Adder and play in the Cockatices den The Martyrs you know did thus when they embrac'd the flames and complemented with Lions and devour'd torments and came to them with an appetite Assurance of the love of God in Christ this and nothing but this pulls out the sting of death 'T is true that death has lost its sting in respect of all that are in Christ but yet such as know not that they are in Christ fear death still as if it had a sting Only an assured Christian triumphs over it O death where is â—hy sting 4. Assurance fills the soul with praise and thanksulnesse The reall presence of a mercy is not enough but there must be the appearance of a mercy and the sense of it before it fill thy heare with joy and thy mouth with praise A doubting Christian is like a bird entangled and in a snare the soul has not its comfort nor God has not his praise But an assur'd Christian is like a bird at liberty that flies aloft and sings most cheerfully It begins those Halelujahs in time that must last for ever It breaks out into the Psalmists language Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse hâ—s holy Name The fourth and last Observation which we propounded out of the Text was That the map to make our Eleation sure is first to make out Calling â—ute And this is sufficiently warranted from the just order and method of this Apostolical exhortation Make your Calling and Election sure First your Calling then your Election and by your Calling your Election Methodus Analytica best becoming creatures Many have handled this point at large I shall do it very briefly and I shall give you all that I intend to speak to it in these six particulars 1. Election in it self is secret and mysterious For 1. it is from eternity and so there was none could know it but God alone none could know Election but he that made an Election A Being that is spann'd by time cannot reach to what was done from everlasting You cannot imagine that Non-entity should listen and hear what was whisperd in the Secret Councel of Heaven Thou goest only by the clock of time but those decrees were written with an eternal Sun beam thou turnest up thy houre-glasse of time but these were measured by an infinite duration Was it possible that Esau not borne should see God frowning on him or that Jacob should perceive a smile Thou art as far from meriting Election as a Non entity and thou art as far from knowing it as a Non-entity 2 God has a minde to keep it secret and therefore he has set a seale upon it not only a seale of certainty but a seale of secrecy You know creatures themselves have their closet-determinations men have their thoughts under lock and key they have not windows into one anothers
with all things here below if he should call for them they must be content to trample upon all relations for the love of a Saviour if they stand in competition with Christ they must be ready to lay all creatures and creature-comforts at his feet Now because this might seem somewhat an hard task and not so easie and Evangelical a yoke as he had promised them In these words he begins to sweeten his commands and to shew the reasonablenesse and equity of this that he requires of them You may well part with other things for this will be a means to save your soul Now says he if you could graspe the whole world and if you had it all in possession and should lay it down all only for the winning of a soul you would have no great cause to complain Whereas if you could embrace the present world and could gain it all nay if there were more worlds for you to enjoy and if you could have them all only for the losse of a soul you would have no great purchase of it What is a man profited There 's a plain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words more is meant then is spoken You would be so far from having any profit as that you would have the greatest losse that is imaginable the greatest dammage and detriment that such a creature is capable of You would have changed Gold for Drosse and Pearles for pebbles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now our Saviour in these words does as it were take a paire of ballances in his hand the ballance of the Sanctuary and he puts the whole world in one scale and the soul of man in the other This little sparkle of Divinity in one scale and the great Globe of the world in the other And the soul of man this spiritual being this heavenly sparkle it does mightily out-weigh the great Globe of the world the vast bulk of water the huge fabrick of the Creation The world 't is weighed in the ballance and 't is found too light In the words you have these two things very considerable 1. That absolute worth and preciousnesse that is in the souls of men which is strongly imply'd and envolv'd in the words D. The souls of men are exceeding precious 2. A comparative preciousnesse which is most directly and expressely laid down in this in respect of the whole world besides D. One soul 't is more worth then a world For the first The souls of men are very precious The preciousnesse of the souls of men will easily appear from these four several heads of Arguments For though all men or most men that know what a soul is will easily grant that their souls are precious enough yet they don't attend to those several respects in which they are thus precious much lesse do they take notice of those several results and consequences that flow from it Now this absolute preciousnesse and worth of a soul does thus shew it self 1. From the several Excellencies of the soul it self There is a fourfold excellency in the souls of men which speaks them choise and precious 1. The excellency of their Original they are of a noble descent they came from the Father of spirits from the Father of lights God lights up souls in the world they bubble forth from that fountain of spirits that spiritual Essence They are the breast of a Deity God breath'd into a man a living soul They are a beam of the glorious Sun God beam'd into man a glittering soul The body indeed 't was rais'd out of the dust we dwell in houses of clay whose foundations are in the dust But the soul 't was of an higher and Nobler Original Yet there is a great deal of cost bestow'd upon the body much Embroydery and Needle-work in that I am admirably made I am curiously wrought I am wrought with a Needle sayes the Psalmist Acupictus sum he speaks it in respect of the choise and elegant composure of mans body much needle-work in that and then that 's but the sheath of the soul the casket for the Jewel to lye in The soul 't is like the Queens daughter in the 45. Plasme Her clothing is of needle-work and she is all glorious within Now all the workmanship that is bestow'd upon the body is only that it may be serviceable to the soul that the soul may Benè habitare that it may be a fit Tabernacle for the soul to dwell in that the soul may say 'T is good for me to be here The body 't was rais'd out of the dust but the soul sprang from heaven 't was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bud of Eternity And truely that the souls of men should now be extraduce it does somewhat degrade them from that height of excellency that belongs to them I know that question 's full of briers and thornes but yet we may very well say thus much that some Scripture-passages favour and countenance this most that God still breaths into men living souls that they flow immediately from him in a way of Creation and that the soul and body do still differ in their Original That 's the first the excellency of the souls Original 2. The excellency of its Operations Do but look upon the several workings of the soul Consider the several layings out of the soul and you 'l see they have worth in them Do but view the wheels and motions of the soul the several faculties and employments of them and you 'l see they are all choice and precious What should I tell you of the Understanding crown'd with Beams compast and surrounded with Light of the Will sitting like a Queen upon her Throne and swaying the Scepter of Liberty in her hand with all the affections waiting and attending upon her There 's a five-fold excellency in the workings of the souls of men 1. The workings of the soul are quick and nimble Material Beings move heavily Matter clogs them and dulls their motion They go like the Chariots of Pharaoh in the Red-sea but spiritual Beings they move freely and presently like the Chariots of Amminadab they run with a cheerfull spontaneity What quicker then a Thought what nimbler then the twinkling of an intellectual Eye 'T is true there is a weaknesse and irregularity in the souls motions when its best workings are too flitting and desultory too gliding and transient but take the soul as 't is regular and orderly in its motions and then the freenesse and presentnesse of its working 't is the high priviledge of a spiritual Being For God that is a pure Spirit is Omni-present in his motions And the Angels that are ministering Spirits make haste of those glorious errands they are sent about The wings of the Cherubims flye very swiftly And the souls of men that are next in motion as they are next in Being they do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven with such freenesse and alacrity 2. They are vigorous and indefatigable
not alwayes of the strongest and goodliest bodies none of the longest lives Sometimes the soul is so acute as that it cuts the sheath of the body asunder Sometimes the Lutanist scrues up the strings so high as that they crack immediately Many times the soul is in the full when the body 's in the wane That which we usually call a lightning before death some think 't is but the souls finding of its former liberty that 's now to be loosen'd from the body to be enlarged and set out of prison and that makes it so chearful To be sure there are at least strong and pregnant probabilities of the souls immortality to a natural eye to a Philosophical eye with common light And they that tell us of the souls Mortality we may very well question what manner of souls they have to be sure as the Psalmist speaks They are become like the beasts that perish Others are so far in love with the souls immortality that they would have every soul immortal sensitive and vegetative souls But it shall suffice us that the souls of men are so and this is the fourth excellency of the souls of men the excellencie of their Duration And this is the first head of Arguments by which you see the preciousnesse of a soul from the several excellencies of the soul it self 2. If you would know the worth and preciousnesse of a soul Consider what value and esteem they put upon it that are best acquainted with the worth of it This is one of the wisest and surest wayes to know the worth of a thing to consider how they prize it that best know it See then how they value souls that know them best I. God himself the Creatour of souls 1. The Father of spirits He must needs know the worth of souls for he made them and he weighs the spirits of men he has often put them into the ballance and he knows the worth and weight of them Now see how he esteems them He has laid out his thoughts from everlasting for the bringing in of some souls to himself He has pickt them out as his Jewels The counsels and contrivances of heaven have been spent upon them Now do you think that God would lay out his thoughts upon them from everlasting unlesse they were very precious II. Jesus Christ the great Purchaser of souls he bought them and so must needs know the worth of them It was no ordinary price that he paid for them neither You were not ransom'd with corruptible things c. Now do you think that Jesus Christ would have laid down his own life spent his own precious blood for them except they had been very precious There 's nothing that does speak the worth and excellency of a soul then what was laid down for them to redeem them And these words in the Text are the words of him that bought souls the words of Jesus Christ himself the great Redeemer of souls he tells you that one soul is more worth then a world III. The Angles they are Spirits themselves and so are more acquainted with the nature of Spirits then we are See how they esteem them 1. The Good Angels what care do they take for souls They are ministering Spirits for the good of souls They pitch their Tents about them they have charge of souls they rejoyce at the conversion of a soul Heaven is alwayes full of joy brimfull of joy but it runs over with fresh joy when a soul is brought in to a Saviour 2. The Evil Angels those great Plunderers of souls those black and damned Potentates of Hell the Devils these know the worth of souls too well For 1. What variety of temptations have they for the beguiling of a soul How many thousand hooks and baits for the catching of a soul How many designes and stratagems for the ruining of a soul what ambushes and underminings for the undoing of a soul how does he spread abroad his nets and fill the world with snares for the entangling of a soul what serpentine windings and workings what depths and methods of deceit what flatteries and insinuations and all for the deluding of a soul 2. How does he rage when a soul is pluckt out of his paw The whole legion of them is in an uproar and commotion when they have lost one of their prisoners they look upon it as a great losse 3. How does he envy Jesus Christ the saving of one soul How does he think souls too precious for him If all the powers of darknesse could hinder it there should not be one soul translated out of their kingdome 4. How does he glory and triumph in the conquest of souls If hell were capable of joy it would have it then when souls are captivated by this Prince of darknesse These are his spolia ampla the goodly trophy's and monuments of his victory 5. How many factours and agents does he imploy to bring in souls to his kingdome how many are serviceable and instrumentall to him and how does he go up and down like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Do you think he would take so much pains about souls if they were not worth it 6. In his formal Contracts he does not stand long a cheapning he 'l give them what they 'l aske he knows he can't outbid himself A soul is worth more he knows then he has to give for it 7. How does this torment him that he is in a chaine and can do no more hurt to souls that there is an hook in this Leviathan that he is restrain'd and limited so as that he cannot have his will of souls So that by all this you see the evil Angels the Devils know the worth of souls too well And this is the second head of Arguments by which you see the preciousnesse of souls c. 3. Arg. Because other things are precious in reference to the soul The worth of the soul puts a lustre upon other things 1. Precious Faith why is that so precious because 't is for the saving of a precious soul 't is such a radical and essential Grace We beleeve to the saving of the soul 2. Precious Promises why are they so precious because they are for the welfare of a precious soul Cordials to revive a fainting soul balme for the healing of a wounded soul restauratives for the recovery of a languishing soul 3. Precious Ordinances Why but because God does here in especial manner display himself and reveal himself to souls He gilds them with his own glorious presence they are the wells of salvation out of which souls must quench their thirst 4. Precious Ministers why such a lustre upon that Calling more then upon others why they so honourable but because they are more immediately conversant about souls The converting of souls that 's the crowne of the Ministery You are my Crown and my Joy sayes Paul to his converted Philippians No wonder then if contempt be pour'd out upon the
pray against them to have them restrain'd and subdu'd Many a weak and aged and sickly one unfit for warre and yet powerful in prayer And these weapons of our warfare they are not carnal but mighty You can't encounter an enemy I but you may thus wrastle with the Almighty You can't batter down a strong hold but yet ye can besiege the throne of grace with concentred abilities You are not fit to be set in a Watch-tower to spy out the approach of an enemie but yet you may watch unto prayer And this is a great advantage that Christians have over their enemies The enemy knows not how to pray they know how to curse and swear and blaspheme the name of God but they know not how to pray Or if they do pray and tell their prayers with their beads that they may know the number of them yet their prayer is turn'd into fin The prayer of the wicked is an abomination Let them cry aloud to their Idols and see if they will hear them they can't look that God should hear them For If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer O then let Christians know their own happinesse and make use of this spirituall weapon of prayer that opposes the enemy more then all other weapons whatsoever Let them brandish the glittering sword c. And this is the chief use you are to make of all the news you hear to know how to order your prayers accordingly No question more ordinary in mens mouth then what news And I finde no fault with the question it is good and fitting But news are not to be enquired after only for the satisfying of mens mindes and curiosity as the Athenians spent all their time in enquiring for some news But this is the main end of it to know how to send up your prayers for the good of the Church and your praises for such mercies as God bestowes upon it All news heard by a publick spirit will stir up prayer or thanksgiving This is the use you are to make of news if sad news of the Churches misery and desolation then send up more fervent prayer that God would repaire the breaches of it and settle it in a flourishing condition if welcome news then praise God for his free goodnesse and desire him to perfect the great work which he has begun This is one special means to promote the publick good the prayer of the righteous And God alwayes when he intends any great mercy he poures upon his people a spirit of prayer he stirres up their hearts in this way he opens their mouth wide before he fills it 2. Self-Reformation This has great influence upon the publick good And how can you expect a publick and glorious Reformation unlesse first you reforme in private Look upon the grievances of your own soul hearken unto those many petitions that are put up to you by the Ministers who beseech you to be reconcil'd unto God Every sin addes to wrath it provokes God pulls down his judgements and ripens a Nation for destruction and has a malignant and venemous influence upon the whole So then the turning from sin and reforming your wayes is the means to divert judgements to bring down mercies and bring down publick good If there were more private Reformations in mens spirits there is no doubt but God would blesse the publick Reformation Sinne puts more rubs in the way then any enemy or opposer whatsoever This is the great Mountain that hinders the going up of the Temple if this one were but took away all other would quickly become a plain They are very injurious to the publick good that go on in a course of sinning against so gracious a God that do's such great things for us One sinner destroyes much good as the wise man speaks 3. Vnited spirits and a sweet harmony of Affections graciously consorting together would help forward the cause of Israel Jarres and dissensions amongst Christians themselves sound very harshly For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart What is there can give greater advantage to an enemy then to see Israelites fall out amongst themselves You may learn more wisdome of them that are wiser in their generation then the children of light what a strait union and confederacy have they among themselves Gebal and Ammon and Ama'ek the Philistines with them that dwell at Tyre These scales of Leviathan as that in Job is usually allegoriz'd are shut together as with a close seale And if they should be at variance and discord among themselves yet they have a sure way of reconciliation by a joynt opposition of the godly Ephraim against Manesseh and Manasseh against Ephraim both against Judah Herod and Pilate made friends in crucifying Christ If wicked men can agree in opposing of goodnesse why should not Christians in helping forward goodnesse All ye that come out to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the Mighty come with united hearts and agreeing spirits Why should there be strife between you seeing you are Brethren And then consider What will not united forces do when you shall joyn to the work of the Lord with one consent with one shoulder What is it that this union won't bring to passe It will strike terrour to the Churches enemies and strengthen the hearts of friends It will mightily promote the publick goood and tend to the glory of Ierusalem If men would but lay out themselves and their several gifts and abilities in one general aime for the advantage of their Master and good of their fellow-servants what glorious times should we then see This is one clause in the Protestation to stand for the union of the three Kingdomes 4. I might adde that with outward aide too you are bound to promote the publick good with liberal contribution to relieve the necessity of the Christians as the Church of Macedonia gave above her abilities And also such as by authority shall be sent forth against the Popish-Rebells they are to fight with courage and alacrity for 't is for the cause of God They come out to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the Mighty And now for a word of Application It is for the just reproof of most men that minde not at all the publick good How do they think to avoide the curse of Meroz seeing they come not out to the help of the Lord c. There is a principle of corrupt self-love in men that makes them of narrow and contracted spirits All their aimes are for themselves and their own ends they do not minde the good of the Church If they hear but of a worldy losse some ship cast away and their estate be weaken'd this will pierce and affect their spirits 't will sad and darken their joy But they can hear of ruines of the Church the breaches of Sion that the Church has many rollings and commotions and
not be wrought upon not be much mov'd with it Men are more affected with their own private good then with the publick and more mov'd with private miseries then publick If they themselves be in the least danger or some of their neer friends then you shall have mourning and sighing and lamentation But if the Church lye a bleeding the Saints those precious ones be kill'd all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter they can be merry enough for all this How many are there that have not shed a teare for Ireland That have not spent a sigh for them nor put up a prayer for them God he has a Bottle for your teares and he knows how many you have put into it I am sure it will hold a great many more then you have shed I speak not so much for outward weeping there 's many perhaps can't shed a tear upon any occasion But I call for a spirit of mourning a sympathizing spirit a spirit took up with the publick good as its best employment O how many are there that this bitter curse of Meroz will fall heavy upon And upon your dayes of humiliation be sure to humble your selves for this your want of a publick spirit your not praying for the peace of Ierusalem How do you know but that if you had sent up more prayers to heaven God might have free'd the distressed Christians by this time As they are guilty of the Christians blood in an high degree that shed it in a most inhumane manner so I know not how they can excuse themselves from some guilt of it that do not help them by prayers and endeavours as much as in them lyes 2. It is against all such as are in a kinde of indifferency and neutrality they neither are for one nor other What is this but the very same case with Meroz Meroz did not fight against Israel it did not fight for the Canaanites no but it did not come out to the help of Israel and therefore it has this bitter curse Vain men that think to content themselves with this that they do not hurt but every man that do's not good do's hurt he most do either one or other the soul is not idle it is either doing good or evil Suppose that a man did no hurt yet this is not enough unlesse he do s good too for there are sins of Omission as well as of Commission Not doing of publick good is a publick hurt 3. By way of Gradation à majori ad majus If there be such a bitter curse upon Meroz for their negligence and remissenesse in duty for not coming out against the Mighty what severe judgments and dregs of wrath shall be pour'd out upon all them that come out against the Lord that are against the publick good that wish ill to Sion that would fain see her in the dust that hate and persecute Christians that oppose the power of Religion and the life of the Gospel that are in the very gall of bitternesse All the curses that are written and not written shall flame against them and the vials of Gods fiercest wrath shall be emptyed upon them Meroz's curse is bitter but in respect of theirs sweet and easie Blesse God for men of publick spirits for Zerubbabels and Jehoshuah's such as are building God a Temple Pray God to encrease the number of publick spirits such as may come out to the help of the Lord. As there 's a great and bitter curse lay'd upon Meroz for being negligent in the cause of God so there are choice and eminent blessings for such as are forward and active in it God will abundantly recompence all the labour of love which any shall shew for his name Their labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. THE White Stone OR A Learned and Choice TREATISE OF Assurance Very useful for all but especially weak BELIEVERS 2 PET. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure ASsurance of salvation is a truth of great and precious consequence of sweet and comfortable influence into the whole life of a Christian A truth which has scarce had liberty to unmask and shew it self in former times and so has seldome or never been fully treated of A truth which could never be more welcome and seasonable then in times of danger and uncertainty when all other things are in a doubtful and wavering condition then to make our calling and election sure to set up a spiritual Militia and to put the soul in a posture of defence in such an heavenly preparation as it may be fit to meet with all conditions He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in God He is just like the Philosophers good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls alwayes sure and square He 's built upon the same foundation that the whole Church of God is He 's built upon a Rock and though the Waves dash and the windes rise though the storme encrease and the floods beat in yet the house stands the foundation 's sure 't is built upon a Rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it I 'le make him a pillar in the Temple of my God as Christ promises to the Church of Philadelphia even like one of those Pillars in Solomons Temple The name of the one was Jachin and of the other Booz nothing but stability and strength as the words imply Christian Assurance fortifies the soul and prepares it against all conditions Now as for the drift of our Apostle in this chapter 't was to perswade the Christian Churches of â—onous Gaâ—atia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia to whom he wrote that they would be fruitful and abundant in the graces of God that they would grow in grace and adde grace to grace and so to increase in them all till they came to a full and perfecâ— stature in Christ For â—e that lacks these saith the Apostle is blinde and cannot see afarrâ— off he is poreblinde and cannot see so farre as heaven and heavenly things And theu he is forgetful too of the very first principles and rudiments of Grace he forgets that he was purg'd from his former sins in the Lavour of Regeneration in Baptisme when he first enter'd into Covenant with God Wherefore do â—e rather give diligence to make your calling c. You that have a spiritual eye and an enlight'ned soul and can disceâ—ne the things of God and you that are mindful of the Covenant made with him do you brethren give c. for this if any thing will make you fruitful in the works of Grace for by these you must maintain your Assurance these are the fruits and evidences of your solvation the fruits of the Spirit and the first fruits of eternal life Christians that make their Calling and Election sure will and must be fruitful in good works The Papists